adventure game

Those craving a DeathSpank sequel for the past year will finally be sated. Hothead Games is bringing a proper follow-up to the series with The Baconing. (It’s a weird but delicious-sounding name, one that fans came up with.) Despite not being named in the title, DeathSpank, the comedic doer of justice, is still the star. He still slays foes with swords and clubs. He fire arrows as expected. And yes, the outhouse save points are still there.

The big difference in the upcoming sequel is that the fantasy elements are gone. This time around, The Baconing infused with more of a sci-fi theme. It seems that Hothead Games, which is self-publishing this title, is using their creative freedom and letting it run wild. The game is basically made by nerd for nerds and includes references to Tron, the Jetsons, the Infinity Gauntlet and other science fiction staples.

The Baconing itself begins after DeathSpank: Thongs of Virtue with the titular character bored out of his mind. He’s basically saved the world and has nothing else to prove. He putters around his castle unsure of what to do with himself, so just for kicks, DeathSpank decides to don all six thongs of virtue at the same time.

I mentioned that there were two upcoming Lexis Numerique titles. I really liked what I saw with AMY. On the other hand, Red Johnson’s Chronicles looks nice, but I’m not so bullish on it. It certainly does try to be different with a more mature take on adventure games. Visually, it looks gorgeous with environments that are a mix of polygons and backdrops. It’s detailed and dynamic with trains and people moving back and forth and characters that linger around the shadows.

As for gameplay, it’s a mix of Professor Layton and Phoenix Wright. The title character, Red Johnson, is an investigator of sorts. He’s working a case on a murder at Drownedman’s Bridge. Most of the action takes place in the first person with Red trolling scenes of the crime Columbo-style. Occasionally, during quicktime action sequences and interrogations it’ll go to third-person.

So where does the Professor Layton part come in? Well, Red Johnson’s Chronicles features puzzles in the guise of obstacles. For example, the protagonist will have to enter an apartment building by sneaking in through the window. Unfortunately, there’s a screen blocking it and Red will have to hack into it by moving these green squares toward the center in a tilelike puzzle.